News

JMD + Hill Thalis + Bennett & Trimble celebrate K2K competition win!

We are Pleased to announce the JMD team won the K2K (Kingsford to Kensington) International Design Competition. The announcement was made on Monday 17th October 2016 during an awards ceremony at UNSW.

The finalists were judged by an independent jury who unanimously selected our proposal for the diverse range of public benefits, including identification of more public spaces as well as considerations regarding the integration of light rail, roads and pedestrian access along Anzac Parade.

James Grant addresses Walk21 Conference in Hong Kong

Principal Urban Designer at JMD, James Grant, recently travelled to Hong Kong to address the Walk 21 conference speaking on the theme of ‘People at the Heart of a Walking City – Promoting Walking through Community and Stakeholder Engagement. Three JMDdesign projects featured in the presentation: Bungarribee at Western Sydney Parklands, Triangle Park in the Penrith CBD, and the Marrickville Public Domain Study.

Walk21 Hong Kong is an international conference sponsored by Walk21, a global leader in championing walking, and in 2016 was attended by over 800 delegates from around the world. The conference promotes “pedestrian-first” environments to promote economic growth, social inclusion and health and wellbeing.

We are pleased to have been shortlisted with Hill Thalis and Bennett and Trimble as one of four teams to develop a vision for the future of Kensington and Kingsford Town Centres as part of Randwick City Council’s K2k Urban Design competition.

Each team will now need to respond to a brief developed by Council and the community and provide their ideas for a vibrant, sustainable and liveable future for Kensington and Kingsford.

The Mayor of Randwick Noel D’Souza said he is excited to see what the finalists will produce as they rethink the future of Kensington and Kingsford.

“This won’t be an easy task as the four teams will need to respond to a brief that the community has helped to develop over the past four weeks. Our jury will be looking for innovation, creativity and sustainability.

“The construction of the light rail through this area provides us with an opportunity to innovate these suburbs along Anzac Parade to create a new streetscape that is inviting to residents, students, visitors and businesses. We want to see ideas that will revitalise this neighbourhood and leverage the benefit that light rail will bring, said Mayor D’Souza.

K2K Competition Strategic Advisor and UNSW Professor of Planning Practice Sue Holliday said the quality of entries was very high.

“The Jury was impressed by the overall quality and diversity and of the submissions received. In responding to the complexity of the brief, many of the assembled teams represented a broad mix of design skills,” Prof. Holliday said.

“This was in keeping with a Brief that emphasised the need for multi-disciplinary design teams that could demonstrate broad experience in innovative thinking and social, economic and ecological design.”

Further details about the community consultaion and the K2K Design Competition can be found on the dedicated competition websitewww.k2k.Sydney.

JMD design were engaged by Parramatta City Council to lead a multidisciplinary team in the transformation of the civic centre of Parramatta, Centenary Square (formally Church Street Mall). The revitalisation aimed at providing a comfortable gathering space for the diverse community of Parramatta whilst also improving connectivity and passive surveillance and re-establishing the space as the civic centre of the city to cater for large community events. The design establishes an identity and character unique to the city and serves as the catalyst for the future expansion of the city within Parramatta Square. The project was constructed by Design Landscapes.

Sod-Turning Ceremony

A sod-turning ceremony took place in Sydney 27th April at the former South Sydney Hospital site to symbolise the start of construction as the site was nominated to become a community hub for the Green Square Town Centre development, providing a civic focus for the future community within a precinct with a unique early 20th century institu­tional character.

JMD design have been engaged by the City of Sydney to prepare a Public Domain Coordination Plan (PDCP) for the site as we­ll as to develop design proposals for the public open spaces within the hospital precinct which will include a playground and youth play area as well as incorporate an artwork element by Colombian artist Maria Fernanda Cardoso.

Heritage elements such as the former hospital building and brick wall on Joynton Avenue were carefully integrated in the design having provided inspiration for a consistent playground theme.

The open space, community hub and Green Infrastruc­ture facilities proposed for the hospital precinct will complement a string of other recreation and community provisions planned for the area, within a campus characterised by its heritage elements.

James Grant, Principal at JMDdesign in Sydney, AILA National Councillor, Chair of the AILA National Advocacy Committee and Advocate of 202020 Vision, shares his perspective.

The Living Cities Alliance is a great initiative led by AILA to inform government policy and influence how our cities are shaped in the future. It has an emphasis on liveable cities, quality public space and green infrastructure.

Importantly it places landscape architects at the fore in the government’s mind when it comes to solving key challenges facing our cities.

The AILA workshop in Canberra aimed to develop key policy recommendations to inform the greening of Australian cities and the government’s Cities Policy position paper, which we expect to be released in coming months.

There was consensus about the positive impacts of greening cities, including reducing health and energy costs, increasing retail, sense of community and social equity, and the significant environmental benefits.

“Liveable, green and vibrant cities are absolutely critical to Australia’s prosperity,” said Greg Hunt, Minister for the Environment.

It places landscape architects at the fore in the government’s mind.

A key outcome was founding the Living Cities Alliance, which will enable a consultative framework to inform the government’s policy development.

Landscape architects have previously been involved in Built Environment Meets Parliament (BEMP), but to my knowledge this is the first time federally. Landscape architects have led the way on influencing government policy on cities.

The Living Cities Alliance will develop five priority policy areas for the government’s consideration. Opportunities include:

A National Green Streets pilot program to support economic, social and environmental development in our urban and suburban centres.

Accelerating green roof installation using incentives such as the creation and trading of stormwater retention credits.

A national Grey to Green retrofit investment fund to help leverage private sector investment for enhancing green spaces in our urban centres.

Piloting creative financing mechanisms for precinct-scale green infrastructure investment, such as the Green Benefit Districts launched in the City of San Francisco.

Since the event the Turnbull Government ministerial reshuffle has seen the appointment of Angus Taylor MP as Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation.

This replaces the role of Minister for Cities and Built Environment and moves from the cities portfolio in the Department of the Environment to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

While in reality this is a scaling back of the Minister for Cities role, it also presents more direct engagement with the Prime Minister’s Office in an area he has a keen interest in.

Macarthur Gardens North Entry Progress

JMD design were engaged by Stockland to develop a solution for the entry to Marsden Park from Richmond Rd.
This involved developing a solution to integrate a large zone substation with the landscape to provide a unique and distinctive sense of arrival.
A kit of parts was developed to achieve this including large sculptural elements (the bubbles). JMD worked up the concept of the bubbles closely with the structural engineer Northrop to ensure wind loading and other forces were factored in. Endeavor Energy were consulted during the design process and signed of the design during the REF process.

Bungarribee Entry Update

Aerial photo credit: Landscape Solutions.

JMD design have worked closely with our client, Western Sydney Parklands Trust, and contractors to deliver the first stage of Bungarribee Parklands. The completed works focus on providing access to this significant regional parkland and include new walking trails, parking areas and entry structures that delineate the future forests that will extend through the park.

The next stage of works includes a significant regional play space, picnic facilities and recreation areas. These works are currently out for tender with construction to commence in April/May 2016.

The Stage 1 works have been constructed by Antoun Civil and the entry works constructed by Landscape Solutions.

New staff at JMD design

A warm welcome to Belinda Kitchin and Le Van Tan Quyen to the JMD design team.

Belinda is a UK trained Landscape Architect. She brings 6 years of experience gained in both UK and in Australia. Her past experiences have included working on small to large scale projects from conception to completion. She also has research experience in the behavioural and social impacts of spatial design and planning.

Le is a recent Landscape Architecture graduate from UNSW. His achievements include being awarded a government scholarship to UNSW for being the highest achieving student in Vietnam. His skills include concept development, documentation, graphic presentations and preparing documents for DA submission.

Entry Structure Bungarribee

Centenary Square wins awards

Photography: Brett Boardman

Centenary Square recently won the Place Project award at the Place Leaders Asia Pacific Awards, for demonstrating place-making.

Centenary Square’s success is evident in its newfound popularity as an open central space able to accommodate activities of varying scale and intensity that change regularly in accordance with the curatorial program for Parramatta. The revitalisation has improved social interaction through both programmed and impromptu activation of the space.

‘The restoration work undertaken by Council has once again made Centenary Square an iconic meeting place, and a popular oasis where people can relax in the heart of our city. The square is home to many of our major events and it is a proud showcase of the changing face of modern Parramatta,’ Lord Mayor of Parramatta Cr Paul Garrard said.

Centenary Square’s interactive water fountain also won Gold for the contractor, Design Landscapes in November in the ‘Commercial or Civil (projects) Over $1 Million’ category at the Master Landscapers Association ‘Landscape Excellence Awards’.

The wayfinding signage by Design by Toko for Centenary Square won the award for ‘Spatial Design Wayfinding/Signage and Environmental Graphics’ at the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) Design Awards.

New staff at JMDdesign

Bernardo Cunha is a Portuguese Senior Landscape Architect, who has recently relocated to Australia. He brings 8 years’ experience alongside our multidisciplinary team at JMD design in both public and private sectors.

His past experience has focused on designing public spaces for the community, from conception to construction stages and his attention is drawn to creating meaningful and sustainable landscapes, with his knowledge on Sustainability and Agenda 21 from his post-graduation.

Concept Design endorsed for Parramatta Square

Parramatta Council has recently endorsed the draft concept design of Parramatta Square, the $2 billion open space redevelopment featuring a winding stream that changes shape and form, areas of green open space and public art installations. The redevelopment will also include commercial, residential, educational and civic buildings.

JMD design is part of the design team 42 – featuring other award-winning firms including Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL), Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (TZG) and Gehl Architects, Denmark. This team have won acclaim for their individual and collaborative work both locally and overseas, including projects in New Zealand, the UK and New York’s Time Square and Broadway.

As well as the iconic water feature and main fountain, the public domain will include digital way finding and public art, a northern lawn and southern plaza, play garden, a new Town Hall lobby, focal artwork and multiple crossing points across the stream. The public domain will be completed in stages to ensure coordination with the construction projects in Parramatta Square including the Western Sydney University high-rise campus, new civic and library facilities and commercial high-end office buildings.

“Parramatta Square will become the new urban heart of a diverse and changing face of Parramatta. It will provide many opportunities for people to enjoy urban life in a great city,” Professor Gehl said.

“This is a unique opportunity to define the future heart of our City, to create an engaging space that will be used by thousands of residents, visitors and workers every day. Council and the design team aim to create a world-class public square befitting Sydney’s dual CBD that respects and pays homage to our unique heritage, while creating a versatile, modern and visually appealing space.” Lord Mayor of Parramatta Cr Scott Lloyd said.

JMDdesign nominated for the Premier’s People’s Choice Awards!

Glebe Foreshore Walkway Stage 5 has been short listed for the Premier’s People’s Choice Awards through the Sydney Morning Herald. This award provides the opportunity for the public to vote for the most inventive additions landscape, and will be announced at the AILA NSW Awards Night on Friday 11th September. This is the second time JMDdesign has featured in the Premier’s People’s Choice Awards.

The Glebe Foreshore Walkway Stage 5 is the last stage in a 10 year project that has seen JMD design collaborate with the City of Sydney to provide foreshore access between Rozelle Bay and Blackwattle Bay. The recently complete portion in front of Sydney Secondary College continues to carefully respond to its context and to deliver foreshore connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists, water access for recreation, including the dragon boat fleet
whilst creating new opportunities for increased, land, marine and intertidal habitat. The work includes a new seawall with habitat shelves, a new mangrove habitat, intertidal salt marsh platforms and coastal species plantings.

Anton receives RIBA commendation in the Eyeline drawing competition

Anton James recently received a commendation for his sketches in the Royal Institute of British Architects international Eye Line drawing competition.

The sketches were of Bungarribee Parklands, which received the AILA NSW Planning Award last year.

Title of work: Bungarribee Parklands Plan ideogram
The ink and water colour drawing was created in my sketchbook as part of the early design process for a new 345 Hectare Parkland in Western Sydney adjacent to a freeway and several large scale industrial buildings. Currently inaccessible the park has a unique quality that we are aiming to preserve whilst inserting a new park. This drawing was a means of conceptualizing the structure and the key elements of the park. The red heart is an existing area of endangered grasslands that is to remain untouched and largely inaccessible. The orange rectangle is a 1 km long disused WW2 runway that presently cuts through the park, Redgum runway forest. The proposal is to plant it out with six thousand Redgums thereby turning the present void into a powerful volume that retains the scale of the runway but provides amenity in this hot part of Sydney. The green loop is the new circulation spine that controls access through the park and protects the centre.

Title of work: Bungarribee Parklands southern Bridges
This pencil, water colour and gouache was part of a series of studies for a pedestrian route through an area of swamp. It is a drawing that marks the arrival at a decision to replace the idea of a single structure with a series of smaller islands and bridges that reference the billboards on the adjacent freeway. Towards the viewer is the open retained swamp whilst in the background is a densely planted green belt providing a strong backdrop to the bridges with their billboards of flat colour that become markers calling out to the far side of the park. The drawing tries to engage with the rhythm of the bridges, the watery nature of the swamp and density of the green belt (gouache) from the point of view of a visitor about to cross.

Title of work: Bungarribee Parklands scaling #1
This abstract drawing and collage was done at the time of the design work on Bungarribee and brings together the key elements of the parklands mentioned in work 1 above. The linearity of the new Redgum runway forest

Lindfield Green

JMD design and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects were selected as the winner of the Lindfield Village Green competition. The project involves preparing a concept design to create a new green space in the heart of Lindfield Village. The existing at grade parking is be reconstructed underground allowing the new public park above. The concept was to distill the character of Lindfield’s gardens, making the Green Garden.

The basement carpark entry was relocated to free the edge of the park fronting Tyron Road, creating a more open feel and enhancing the visual connection between street and park. Buildings were minimised and sited to the north of the space near the Kochia Lane connection to Lindfield Station. The green itself is a simple lawn, providing flexible space for events. The gazebo’s provide seating and play areas, while also disguising ventilation for the carpark.

“It is an incredible privilege and responsibility to be given the opportunity to help remake the heart of a city and to translate the immense potential, optimism and richness of western Sydney into a public open space that contributes to the life of its inhabitants and provides a future legacy,” Mr James said.

The team has previously worked together on a number of notable projects including the Paddington Reservoir Gardens in Sydney, The National Arboretum in Canberra and Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga in Adelaide.

Vote for JMD! Walking toward a new city structure – Marrickville Public Domain Strategy

JMDdesign have submitted the Marrickville Public Domain Study in the Walk 21 Walking Visionaries Awards.

The award is submitted under the title Walking Towards a New City Structure, reflecting the projects intent to evolve the existing fabric of our cities on the key criteria of encouraging more walking and cycling.

Gunyama Park and Aquatic Centre Design Competition, Green Square

Landscape d_Lab RMIT under the leadership of Anton James was invited last year to join stage 2 finalists, Typ Top Architects to design the landscape for their Gunyama Park and Aquatic Centre Competition submission.

The scheme provides new recreational space within a high density urban context that will support and reflect the varied and changing demands its inhabitants will place on the space over time. . The scheme builds an urban habitat for activity, sport, play, recreation, leisure, gardening, water, plants and animals linked by the logic of the running track. Activities double up, uses piggy back off one another, speeds vary, the spectator bleachers become skating elements, the playing field can be adapted to accommodate a golf driving range, rain gardens provide a green barrier between the street and the playground, park benches become chess venues.

The scheme consists of five bands with a north south orientation:

The western band at the pool entry consists of a series of small spaces for waiting and gathering, bike parking, café seating. Stairs connect from Joynton Avenue with views into the pool grounds.

The aquatic pool complex band opens out to the park and Zetland Avenue. The concourse includes tiered seating and terraced lawn.

The third band consists of a series of overlapping activity zones for basketball, skating, walking, running and sport spectating.

The running track loops around the sports field to connect activities to amenities, change facilities, picnic settings and outdoor games.

The eastern band melds the synthetic, the domestic, the urban, the floral and the site specific. It comprises of a broad area of native shrub planting, a playground, garden beds for community use, a collection of specimen trees, seating and a lawn.

For this post industrial site our scheme rejects any notion of a return to a pre settlement landscape, rather it seeks to discover surprise and delight in the fabrication of an urban habitat for high rise dwellers that intensifies the opportunity for varied activity and use.

Power St Loop Competition

In his role as leader of the Landscape d_Lab at RMIT, Anton has been developing a number of research projects and competition entries, the latest being a submission for the Power St loop competition in partnership with industry, government agencies and other research organisations.

The Elemental Loop is a proposition based on the idea of renewal and creativity. The proposal is founded on the potential for sustaining and inventing through the dynamic processes put into play by the four elements water, earth, air,fire. The proposal is a test bed at the city scale for the coming together of art/design and renewable energy technology. The Loop will become a symbol for the inevitable and evolving symbiosis between artifice (technology) and ecology. Advances in bio mimicry relating to the four elements will be tested through culture in the Elemental Loop.

Sydney: A Landscape Articulated

Anton James will be speaking at the upcoming event at UTS Sydney: A Landscape Articulated. Anton will be amongst a design panel featuring several other landscape architectural professionals in the industry discussing place, projects and the future in landscape architecture. For further information and event details click here.

People power initiative

No more running out of charge on your phone or mobile device now we have people power. The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority has provided an interactive cardio experience initiative in the Darling Quarter, where your energy output is converted into battery power for your phone or other mobile device.

The initiative developed by JMD design consists of two elements; the energy recumbent peddle base and the ergonomically designed exercise seat. Together they demonstrate and encourage both environmentally sustainable outcomes and exercise for physical health, as well as support the range of activation in the busy Darling Quarter precinct. The seat was custom fabricated by Emerdyn.

Marrickville Winged Victory Opening Ceremony

Winged Victory Statue

The Winged Victory Statue has been re-installed at Marrickville Town Hall in preparation for the official unveiling on Sunday marking the centenary of the Gallipoli landing. JMDdesign were involved in the Marrickville Town Hall forecourt which features the 4m high bronze cast Winged Victory Statue.

Marrickville Town Hall

Marrickville Town Hall

JMD design were commissioned by Marrickville Council to design and document the upgrade of Marrickville Town Hall forecourt. Integral with the forecourt works is the reinstatement of the Winged Victory statue for the 2015 Anzac centenary commemoration events. As consultants for the Marrickville Public Domain Study (PDS) JMD design are demonstrating the application of the PDS strategic directions and design principles in the Town Hall proposals through. Construction of the Town Hall forecourt is currently underway and is soon due for completion in April 2015.

Blaxland Riverside Park featured in Site Seeing Exhibition

Brett Boardman Photography of Blaxland Riverside Park will be featured in the upcoming AILA Site Seeing Exhibition: a decade of Australian landscape architecture through the lens at the Gallery of Australian Design in Canberra.

Bungarribee featured in Architecture and Design

Playground concepts at Bungarribee

Bungarribee in the news

Image credit: Western Sydney Parklands Trust.

The Bungarribee Precinct was formally launched by the Baird government today as western Sydney’s ‘super’ park. Click here to see the 3D fly through of the Bungarribbe Precinct due for completion in 2018.

Landscape d___Lab

The Landscape d_Lab is a research unit within RMIT University’s Centre for Design Practice Research, led by Professor Anton James, Director of JMD design. Anton is a landscape architect and artist with over twenty years experience in the design and delivery of award winning projects.

In partnership with industry, government agencies and other research organisations Landscape d_Lab collaborates to transform forgotten urban landscapes into liveable spacesthat enrich city life, foster social interaction, contribute to cultural identity, improve environmental outcomes, and deliver health benefits for the population.

We see the connections and relationships between the apparently disconnected forces and processes that are shaping our environment and apply our expertise to creatively reconnect biological, cultural and technological networks to make landscapes that invite both human and non-human occupation.

We seek out and create opportunities for positive transformation in a diversity of urban and peri-urban sites that have been severed from their context by infrastructure, that are undergoing wholesale urban transformation, that have been vacated by industry, that have suffered environmental degradation, that are at risk to the impacts of climate change and that are under valued and under utilised.

We design, select, orchestrate and arrange biological and technological systems into vibrant and liveable urban habitats.

Landscape d_Lab is supported by the expertise of a diverse range of researchers within the Centre for Design Practice Research and in the wider RMIT community and we have access to RMIT’s cutting edge technologies such as rapid prototyping and 3D visualization. Industry or government may wish to partner with Landscape d_Lab; to share, gather, correlate and analyse open space information through mapping; to identify sites for transformative open space projects, to access a team with both professional and university research expertise, to have a cross disciplinary approach of the highest calibre to a specific problem, to tap into a network of researchers, to engage with stakeholders and other government authorities.

A number of funding options are available for Landscape d_Lab research, these include, direct partner funding, successful grants applications, and in kind contributions or any combination thereof.

New staff at JMD design

JMD design has recently welcomed new staff to the office over the last few months including Senior Landscape Architects Cate Wallace and Claire Broun, Landscape Architect Claire Winsor and graduates Alex Humphries, Nazanin Azimipanah and Zoe Loomes.

Willowdale Wayfinders

Kris Kringle at JMD

Night time at Centenary Square

Merry Christmas from JMDdesign

Fellowship awarded to James Grant

The AILA National Council has awarded a Fellowship to James Grant for his continuing contribution to the Landscape Architectural industry:

The Fellowship recognises James’s extensive contributions to the NSW Group as both President and Secretary and his long standing involvement in the State Executive.

Through all of his roles James has raised the profile and credibility of the profession of Landscape Architecture and has been a tireless advocate through political and bureaucratic channels. To his peers and many young professionals he has been a cheerful, reliable, and wise advisor and a superb role model for his colleagues.

JMDdesign receives AILA NSW Planning Award

JMD design recently received an NSW AILA State Award for Planning, for the Bungarribee Master Plan in collaboration with WSPT (Western Sydney Parklands Trust)

‘Leading a multi-disciplinary team, JMDdesign has created a compelling vision for the Bungarribee Master Plan, supported by in depth analysis, emphasis on sustainable principles and active stakeholder and public engagement’

Glebe Foreshore Walk (Stage 5) Official Opening

Photo courtesy of City of Sydney

The final stage of the Glebe Foreshore Walk was officially opened by the Lord Mayor Clover More on Saturday 25th October 2014. It is the western most segment (over 2.5km kilometres long) of the City of Sydney’s planned foreshore walk, stretching from Pyrmont Bridge Road to Rozelle Bay. It has created varied and intimate spaces, the means to access the water, ecological habitats, interpretation of heritage and archaeology and used WSUD principals. The project incorporates mangrove habitat reconstruction, salt marsh habitat, new precast wall with perched intertidal habitat, decks, ramps, boardwalks, a beach, canoe launching ramp and pontoons. The foreshore walk features the first constructed mangroves in Sydney Harbour. The design resolves environmental issues whilst creating a clear identity in counterpoint to the existing heritage values.

Mt Penang

Mt Penang was recently reviewed on the online blog Architecture AU, reviewed by Sueanne Ware. This article follows the publication of Mt Penang in the August Issue of Landscape Australia 2014. For more information click here

The Knoll Remnants nominated for the People’s Choice Award 2014

Marrickville Public Domain Study

Public Domain concept ideas for five villages and centres in the Marrickville LGA were displayed at the Marrickville Festival on Sunday 19th October 2014.

For the last year JMDdesign have been working closely with Marrickville Council and the Community in undertaking an LGA wide Public Domain Study including the preparation of a Public Domain Strategy, a Public Domain Code and Public Domain Masterplans for selected centres. Community feedback will be sought on the DRAFT Public Domain Centre Masterplans at a series of road show events taking place throughout November.

Glebe Foreshore Stage 5

GPT Wollongong Central

Construction of the $200m GPT Wollongong Central has progressed with the installation of the landscape works for the new retail destination in the city centre of Wollongong. The redevelopment will provide an expanded retail centre and alfresco dining areas. JMD design were inspired by the unique geological formations of the Illawarra and have delineated the main entry with a few hundred basalt hexagonal columns and planting areas cascading down into the mall forecourt. The project is due for completion in October 2014.

Willowdale

Centenary Square Official Opening

Centenary Square Parramatta was officially opened last night by The Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Councillor John Chedid, with a significant attendance from the community. The opening featured local bands, food markets and showcased the significant animated and illuminated water play fountain. JMD design were engaged by Parramatta City Council to lead a multidisciplinary team in the $5m transformation of the civic centre of Parramatta.

Centenary Square Progress

RMIT LA Design Lecture Series 2014

The University of Adelaide Speaker Series

FORECAST Festival of Landscape Architecture

Dr Anton James will be speaking at the upcoming AILA FORECAST Festival of Landscape Architecture, Brisbane 16th – 18th October 2014.

With a program of participatory experiences and conversations, Forecast is designed to inspire and engage by re-imagining the way we meet and celebrate the profession, share our stories and learn through discourse and debate. Over three days on the banks of the Brisbane River, the festival will prototype a new approach for Landscape Architecture, reflecting the way we work as designers – transparently, collaboratively and iteratively. This is a festival for designers, thinkers, collaborators and innovators to partake in conversations and events to help build a momentum that will underpin the future of the profession (Forecast Festival of Landscape Architecture, 2014).

Anton James recently received his Doctor of Philosophy from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Design after completing and passing his examination in the invitational stream last October.

The practice based research PhD as pioneered by RMIT offered Anton the opportunity to rigorously scrutinise his design practice and methodology with the aim understanding, refining and communicating the processes that have propelled more than twenty years of design/art practice in landscape architecture. The original research through typological models gave way to a more specific understanding of a personal design methodology that loops around diverse references, operations and site qualities. It is a method centred on drawing and painting that generates divergent ideas and solutions that in turn propel further explorations, retreats, discoveries and rediscoveries to be tested against project realities.
Anton’s PhD brought to light the importance of drawing and by extension his collection of sketchbooks (42) that stretch back to the late 1980s. These have revealed themselves as evidence of a design thinking that embraces the discontinuities, missed beats, contradictions, particularities and quirks of a site to heighten, enoble and engage the found character.

Taking 3.5 years to complete, the PhD consisted of half yearly presentations to a panel at RMIT Practice research symposia, the preparation of a book titled ‘Exploring a Looping Path: a design art practice in landscape architecture’ that included an extensive interview with Henri Bava from the highly successful French Landscape Architecture practice, Agence Ter and a final exhibition and examination (available on Vimeo RMIT PRS Anton James).

Demolition begins at Centenary Square, Parramatta Mall

Construction of Centenary Square has commenced recently at Parramatta Mall. The proposed design de-clutters the existing mall and introduces a restrained, contemporary palette, focusing on a unified ground plane and locating seating and other infrastructure to the edges. The larger open Square is subtly delineated by a change in pavement pattern and, during periods of non-events, is activated through a significant animated and illuminated water play fountain incorporated within the pavement.

Sleepers Awake

JMDdesign is currently leading a multidisciplinary team of engineers, architects, artists, heritage and community consultants for the Bungarribee Parklands Master plan, a 250ha park in Western Sydney. During the early design stages, JMDdesign worked with international artists Heather and Ivan Morison, who developed a catalyst for the changing space at Bungarribee.

A giant balloon was raised every night for 2 weeks over May, an indication to the community a change is about to take place in the parklands.

Anton James appointed Professor of Landscape Architecture at RMIT

Anton James has been recently appointed as one of three new professors to lead experimental design laboratories in the School of Architecture + Design.

Dean of the School, Professor Richard Blythe said: ‘Our new professors will play an important role in establishing the School’s new D’Lab in the Centre for Design Practice Research which will house a cluster of experimental design laboratories working across a range of disciplines and with a focus on pressing societal questions. D’Lab will use design as a research method to forecast new futures for existing conditions.’

The landscape D’Lab will be expanding design experimentation in real and hypothetical projects. Partnerships and collaboration for these projects will be accross a range of clients and specialist groups within the university, the public and private sector.

JMD Design congratulates Anton on this achievement.
For further information on RMIT’s Press Release Click Here

Centenary Square, Parramatta

JMD design were engaged by Parramatta City Council to lead a multidisciplinary team in the transformation of the civic centre of Parramatta, Centenary Square. The revitalisation aims to improve connectivity and passive surveillance and re-establish the space as the civic centre of the city, catering for large community events and gatherings.

The landscape design de-clutters the existing mall and introduces a restrained, contemporary palette, focusing on a unified ground plane and locating seating and other infrastructure to the edges. The larger open Square is subtly delineated by a change in pavement pattern and, during periods of non-events, is activated through a significant animated and illuminated water play fountain incorporated within the pavement.

This project serves as the catalyst for the future expansion of the city within Parramatta Square.

JMD design have completed the detailed documentation of the project with construction anticipated to commence in mid-April and completion for August 2014.

Glebe Foreshore Walk – Stage 5

Construction of the final link from Ferry Road to Bridge Street has commenced this month with Ford Civil the successful contractor. Works to the sea wall will involve piering and custom precast panels to stabilise the sea wall. The pedestrian areas will be a combination of concrete finishes, sandstone paving, decomposed granite and turf.

Fellowship awarded to James Delaney

The AILA National Council has awarded a Fellowship to James Delaney in recognition of his long-term distinguished service, high quality landscape solutions and advocacy of the profession of Landscape Architecture. James has consistently contributed to NSW State members through his mentorship and leadership roles and is seen as an exemplary model for professional practice.

The honour acknowledges James’s service to environmental education and his promotion of Landscape Architecture through the integral role he as played on multidisciplinary teams.

JMD would like to say…

Small parks for the City of Sydney

JMD design is currently working with the City of Sydney on some small parks to provide the community with much needed open space in Darlinghurst.

The creation of a new local park on Palmer Street will provide recreation, play and, potentially community gardening opportunities for the local residents. The design aims to interpret the historical use of the site as a childcare facility and playground. The demolition of an existing two story building will allow for the creation of more usable recreation space within the new public park. The key aims of the project are to maximize usable green space, provide accessible entries into the park, retain the existing mature eucalyptus tree and provide additional lush, robust planting. The visual amenity of the site and adjacent streetscapes will be enhanced through the use of new planting, engaging park materials and a dynamic mural. The existing mural is to be either renovated or replaced and its current location to become a venue for public art to characterise and enliven the park.

JMD laneway christmas drinks

Harold Park

JMD Design are currently preparing design and documentation for a new public park at Harold Park in Glebe. The new 3.8 hectare park will form a part of the open space network within the Johnstons Creek Parklands. Key components of the design include:

Bungarribee Precinct

JMDdesign recently completed the master plan for Bungarribee Precinct in western Sydney, a 250Ha site adjacent to the M7 and Great Western Highway in Doonside. We collaborated with a multidisciplinary team of engineers, architects, artists, heritage and community consultants to develop plans that establish a new regional park.

The design carefully and logically inserts program and circulation to preserve and heighten the unique site qualities of scale, sky and ecology. The ‘heart’ preserves the delicate ecology of the grasslands, the ‘loop’ provides circulation throughout the site, the ‘redgum runway, a thousand trees’ gives scale and signals the former military runway, and the ‘urban forest’ as plantation provides an ongoing source of material for the Parklands.

We are currently documenting Stage 1 and 2 comprising $8 million worth of work including new entry roads, parking, regional play, picnic facilities and trails.

Fresh faces at JMD Design

JMD Design has recently welcomed six new staff to their office including Senior Landscape Architects Kris Petersen and David Warwick, and Landscape Architects Jana Hyskova, Isabel Sanders, Lucy Cashmore and George Wang.

Kris Petersen is an experienced and results-oriented landscape architect with a strong passion and appreciation for design and detail. Kris is a registered landscape architect with a long track record of achievement in managing complex landscape projects from inception to completion.

David Warwick is a registered landscape architect trained in Brisbane with seven years of professional experience within Australia. His project experience encompasses private residential gardens, masterplanned residential communities and significant public realm projects for both the public and private sectors.

Jana Hyskova is a Czech educated Architect and Urban Designer, who relocated to Australia after finishing her Landscape Architecture degree in Edinburgh. Jana brings her interdisciplinary knowledge and enthusiasm for creating meaningful sustainable landscapes to JMD Design.

Isabel Sanders is a landscape architect and horticulturalist with more than four years of professional experience. Isabel brings specific knowledge on playground design for children to JMD Design. She has a particular interest in providing exciting and memorable play spaces for children of all ages.

Lucy Cashmore is a recent graduate landscape architect where her graduation project explored the Woolloomooloo waterfront, concentrating on the exploration and interaction with permanent and temporary public art. At JMD Design Lucy has been involved in a variety of projects ranging from streetscapes, to more detailed public domain projects.

George Wang is a graduate landscape architect with 3 years experience in major urban design and development projects, both domestic and international. George is passionate in applying creativity while addressing practical issues of development. His proficiency in creative graphic allows him to express design ideas in a meaningful way.

Mt Penang Parklands celebrates 10 years

Mt Penang Parklands was a nationwide two-stage design competition won by Anton James Design in 2003.

Located on the Central Coast, the 6 hectare parklands forms a central attraction of a regional festival, sports and business precinct. The design features a series of gardens set on and around a large sculptural plateau and features walled spaces, abstract pergolas, fountains, ponds, cascades and a 35 metre cantilevered steel footbridge.

Affirmative Architecture 2013

Anton James will be a guest speaker at the Affirmative Architecture 2013 Conference at the Powerhouse Museum 8th and 9th November 2013. The event consists of a symposium and exhibition of international and Australian architects who have shown commitment to a social agenda and made a significant contribution to the public realm. For further information www.affirmativearchitecture.com

Jackson’s Landing – Knoll Remnants

The project is an installation on the site of the Molasses and Rum Storage Tanks at Distillery Hill. The proposal seeks to evoke the physicality of the tanks themselves and the materiality of their contents. Rum, clear and sharp, is suggested by a rigid geometric arrangement of blade like vertical timber. The radially placed timbers are placed to demarcate the perimeter of the larger tank, hinting the volume that once stood there. The inner edge of the blades are painted black, suggesting both the dark inside of the tank and the charcoal filters used in the purification of rum. The outer edge of the blades is painted white, the colour of sugar. These edges add a graphic dimension to the work, presenting as thin lines in contrast to the bulk of the timber. The sense of enclosure provided by the timbers, spaced at 2 metre centres, will vary as the visitor moves around the park, further adding to the spatial richness of the space.

Molasses, viscous, luscious and dark brown, is suggested in the bulbous forms that trace part of the outline of one of the two smaller tanks. A dark brown precast concrete ring bench is proposed, inviting park users to sit or recline. The ring’s curved sensuous profile is reminiscent of poured molasses and stands in stark contrast to the sharpness of the rum timbers.
Where the two other sculptural forms celebrate the tanks through physical defiance, the third tank is reflected by a steel ring that is subtly absorbed into the ground plane to mimic the footprint of a past relic.

Henley Square Urban Design Competition

The site is composed of two distinctive spaces separated by an existing building that includes a cafe. The aim of the proposal is to work with this divide and create different spaces of contrasting character. The existing car park is transformed into a park, the new park is used to enlarge and contain Henley Square. The edges of the park are defined, especially by an elevated mound to the west, creating a protected and contained space in juxtaposition to the surrounding area. The other space is overtly social, the proposal envisages an uncluttered space; shade is introduced in the form of trees planted on the northern edge and umbrella structures in playful colours.

Henley Square and Beachside Common offers a diverse recreational potential within a setting that engages with the scale and mood of its unique context and celebrates the coming together of culture and ocean. The result is a series of beautifully scaled and crafted spaces that welcome diverse use.

The project team comprised of JMD Design and Lacoste and Stevenson Architects.

Blaxland Riverside Park Regional Playspace was recently awarded the Jury Award in the Architizer A+ Awards in the category of Landscapes and Gardens. The award recognises projects for excellence in the criteria of Form, Function, Innovation, Intent and Reality. This comes off the back of success in the recent AILA NSW 2012 Awards in December, where the project was awarded the NSW AILA Award for Excellence in Design.

Anton James from JMD design said “the project and the ensuing awards are a credit to the whole team, beginning with the SOPA team (Sydney Olympic Park Authority) our client, who had the vision and determination to insist on something special and support our design, to the numerous consultants and contractors required to build the project”.

The Architizer A+ Awards received entries from a 100 countries and represents the best of architecture and design worldwide. Winners were announced on March 19, 2013 and awards will be presented on May 16 at the Architizer A+ Awards Gala to be held in NYC.

Fallen Lifesaver Memorial, Coogee Beach

In late 2012 JMD participated in a competition for the memorial of fallen lifesavers at Coogee Beach. The aim was to create a secluded space that encouraged passive leisure activity and reflection as an island within the hustle of a busy beach environment. The elements inserted aimed to define a space that responded to the scale of the site and addressed the negative aspects of this coastal micro climate. Elevated roof panels cast the names of fallen heroes on the ground plane, an elevated sculptural stage presented two bronze cast figures which faced the summer ( the life saver) and winter ( the soldier) solstice. The orientation of the naming panels in the roof plane allows undisturbed views to the horizon.

Finalist at Architizer A+ Awards

Another James for James Street

With 2012 nearing an end and the fresh year in front of us, JMD design welcomes James Grant to our team as Principal Urban Designer, further broadening our urban design skills. James offers a wide range of master planning and urban design skills, having lead large multi-disciplinary teams on a number of projects. Some past projects include:

Jordan Springs Village Centre
St Marys Western and Central Precinct Plans and DCP
Harrington Grove Country Club and Landscape Master Plan
Strategy for Sydneyâs Trails with the Department of Planning
Penrith Lakes Master Plan

This experience includes strategic master planning at rezoning stage and developing DCP’s and concept plans for large scale urban development, including new communities, town centres and mixed use precincts. Other master planning expertise includes major open space, recreation and urban parkland projects, as well as strategic planning for regional open space networks and recreation facilities.

James has also recently taken up the position of the President of the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

NSW Planning Releases Newcastle Renewal Strategy

On the 14th December the Centres and Urban Renewal Team of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure released their report for comment. In mid 2011 JMD Design were commissioned by NSW Planning to work closely with them to deliver urban design concepts for select sections of Hunter Street that form part of the Hunter Street Public Improvement Project in Newcastle. The project areas were carefully chosen to provide the greatest impact on the city’s image and become catalysts for high quality public domain improvement as well as assisting in the urban renewal of the Newcastle town centre. JMD design assembled a set of creative concepts that suggested solutions aimed at promoting business activity, multi modal approach to transport , place making, improved connectivity and permeability and delivering environmental benefits.

JMD Wins at the 2012 NSW AILA Awards

JMD came away with two awards at last weeks 2012 NSW AILA Awards. Blaxland Riverside Park Regional Play space was selected for the NSW AILA Award for Excellence in Design. Greenhills beach development at Kurnell won the NSW AILA Award for Excellence in Land Management. JMD would like to congratulate all of those involved in the various projects.

JMD would like to say…

Blaxland up for People’s Choice Award

SYDNEY is being asked to vote for the most inventive additions to its landscape. The winners of the inaugural Premier’s People’s Choice Awards for landscape architecture will be announced on Thursday at Luna Park after being decided by a vote on smh.com.au.

Emu Park, Brooks Reach Dapto wins NSW Chapter Planning Institute’s Presidents Award and the Planning for Children and Young People Award.

The JMD designed new park for Stockland at Brooks Reach, Dapto features a range of recreational and play facilities terraced amongst the undulating landform at the base of the Illawarra Escarpment. Play opportunities present themselves in the form of tricycle paths, customised play items, run around areas and a basketball court. Amenities encourage extended stay, while plant selection and a shade structure contribute to a comfortable microclimate. The design is integrated into the urban plan by providing pedestrian links through and around the site which will become a transitional destination between the proposed town centre and the school precinct to the northeast. The design responded to the brief prepared by the children of Dapto during Stockland’s extensive consultation process and engagement with the local school. The placemaking undertaken was a key principle used to ensure that a child friendly environment and play experience was delivered.

Anton James, Phd Candidate

Welcome Neil.

JMD Design would like to welcome our newest member of staff Neil Moncrieff. Neil has been a Project Landscape Architect on a wide range of projects from public works in remote National Parks through to high profile parks in the centres of London and Sydney. For more information check out his profile page.

The Cranbrook School, Bellevue Hill

Since our last post a number of stages have been completed including a forecourt and an elevated pathway resulting in improved circulation and amenity for students. The school’s steep topography, established trees and the constrained construction opportunities caused by the school term and various exam timetables combined to create significant design and programmatic challenges.

The new forecourt has been redesigned to maximise space for gathering while securing views to the oval below and resolving conflicts between play areas and pedestrian thoroughfares. The use of concrete and granite on the ground plane Hordern Forecourt links it with the previously completed Camellia Forecourt and begins the process of unifying the ground plane in campus of disparate building materials and finishes.

Blaxland Riverside Park OPEN

Blaxland Riverside Park was officially opened on the 1st of June 2012. The new playground makes extensive use of landform to house a variety of play experiences and elements that caters for the entire family. The landform extends some 300 metres from the Giant swing to the Tonkin Zulaikha Greer designed kiosk. Nestled into dramatic cuts in the landform are tunnel slides, embankment slides, a climbing net, flying fox, sand pit, and a waterplay disc that houses 170 jets. These are programmed to create tunnels, enclosures, lines and spots of water that are at times gentle, at times boisterous. A 12 metres high treehouse overlooks the entire playground and gives long views along the Parramatta River. The highly popular playground is serviced by a new JMD designed extension to the carpark and a Tonkin Zulaikha Greer designed amenities block.